Dubai: A worker, who killed his co-worker with an iron bar after the victim recorded him on video urinating in public, has had his seven-year imprisonment lengthened to 15 years.

The 29-year-old Bangladeshi worker, A.S., was under the influence of liquor when he fought with his countryman, S.I., and repeatedly pounded him over his head with the bar until he dropped dead in November.

In April, the Dubai Court of First Instance sentenced S.I. to seven years in jail for killing A.S. although he said that the fatal blows were not meant to kill the victim.

A.S. appealed the primary ruling and sought a reduced punishment.

Prosecutors also appealed the seven-year imprisonment and asked the Dubai Appeal Court to stiffen the punishment against A.S. who had intended to kill the victim.

The Appeal Court accepted prosecutors’ appeal and lengthened the seven-year jail term to 15 years.

When the worker defended himself before the appellate court he claimed that he was very drunk and did not realise what he was doing.

“I did not intend to kill him. I was intoxicated … we had a heated argument that developed into a fight. He beat me first and then pushed me to the ground. I saw the iron bar beside me, so I picked it up and beat him,” the accused told the court.

According to the appellate ruling, the defendant will be deported after serving his punishment.

Records said the defendant pounded the victim on the left side of his head and killed him.

When asked why he pounded the victim five times after he fell down, the accused said he was too drunk to realise what he was doing.

A police captain said a witness reported the fatal assault at a construction site to Dubai Police’s Operations Room.

“With the help of sniffer dogs, police were able to find the murder weapon in a sandy area facing the site where the murder happened. Based on the description given to the police by a witness who spotted the defendant running away from the crime scene, A.S. was detained after two days. During questioning, the accused said he was sleeping in the building under construction. He claimed he woke up around midnight to answer the call of nature. S.I. used his mobile phone to record the defendant urinating.

“The defendant claimed S.I. threatened to publish the footage if he did not tidy up the place. The accused claimed he had earlier lent the victim Dh500 … so after he cleaned up, according to his statement, they discussed the debt issue. Then they had a heated argument which developed into a fight before A.S. beat S.I. with the bar,” the captain claimed to prosecutors.

The appeal ruling remains subject to appeal before the Cassation Court.